The Art Of Lowering Your Cholesterol

Some experts have recommended that people over twenty should pay more attention to their cholesterol level. Yes, that young! In particular, they encourage people to lower their levels of “bad” cholesterol. Despite the many claims that one can lower their cholesterol level through low cholesterol diet plans, lifestyle changes, and monitored medication, more and more people who suffer from this condition still fail to lower their cholesterol level. So what can be done? Let’s begin by increasing our understanding of cholesterol before we even go there.

There are two kinds of cholesterol, the “good” and the “bad”, so to speak. The bad cholesterol, which is better known as LDL, is the kind that is often found in saturated fats and trans fatty acids. These enter into the body through foods that are pre-packed and prepared such as potato chips, canned goods, etc. Why is it bad? Because it sticks to the walls of the arteries.

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And worse still – high levels of LDL can form plaques in the arterial walls that may eventually cause clogging in the blood vessels. This slows down the blood flow, which in turn makes it hard for the heart to pump blood all over the body. This scenario describes the initial stages of hypertension and coronary heart problems. Scary stuff.

The good cholesterol, also known as HDL, on the other hand lower the levels of LDL in the body by helping transport the LDL to the liver where it is excreted. So you see, not all cholesterol is bad. In fact, small amounts of cholesterol is being used by the body in the production of bile salts and in the transformation of Vitamin D. Cholesterol also plays a role in the balancing of hormones especially in women.

Okay, now onwards to the tips. The first thing, which is pretty obvious, is to know where you stand by getting your levels checked regularly. Visiting your doctor and getting your cholesterol levels checked regularly is very important to achieving optimum health for good. Awareness is always step one, particularly if changes need to be made.

Okay, but what if you are on the verge of, or already being diagnosed with high cholesterol levels? Well, the first thing is to understanding the basics and learning everything you can about the condition. This article provides basic information, but those who are affected by it are urged to learn more about it.

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By conducting your own personal research on the condition will also make you knowledgeable about initial lifestyle changes you can do to lessen the problem and you will also have an idea what other treatments options available. Knowing everything about cholesterol, its types, kinds, and health risks will also make you understand that the case is not hopeless if you are in the right track. You have to start somewhere!

Now, the next obvious thing to do is watch your weight. Of course, if you have a few extra kilos or more, now would be the time to shed them. Since being overweight disrupts a person’s normal metabolism of dietary fat, experts say that people who weight more than they should start planning on a healthy lifestyle and diet to lose weight safely. How do we do that? Surprise surprise – diet and exercise.

As a fitness blog, the first point, which is our area of expertise, is exercise. Get physical, do regular physical activities and exercises more often. The wonders of exercise are essential in lowering high cholesterol levels. Doing regular physical activities can also help raise the good cholesterol levels and lose weight as well.

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There’s really no need for high-intensity workouts if you are somehow unable to do them. Regular brisk walking or jogging can help the body boost HDL cholesterol and also beneficial for the heart. Of course, if you can do higher intensity workout, then by all means you should. For starters, check out the range of equipment found in the Granite Fitness Online Store.

Next up, of course, is food. While you would do well following the principles of the Strategic Nutrition Guide to ensure an overall well-balanced eating plan, there are specific guidelines for those who have high cholesterol in particular. For a start – fruits and vegetables. These foods do not contain that much cholesterol so whatever you have, you will not be adding to its levels.

Another great thing about veggies and fruits is the fact that they are great sources of fibre that the body also need to combat the increase in LDL cholesterol. Berries, fruits that are citrus and carrots are just some of the fruits that you can count on. But wait – there is another type of food that is often overlooked – soya!

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Fibre-rich food, soya as well as almonds and plant sterols figure in a landmark study conducted by University of Toronto that reduced the cholesterol levels of the participants by as much as twenty percent. In the research world, we call this statistical significant. Eating oats, olive oil and barley are also great ways to lower LDL.

Apart from this, you would also do well to avoid foods that are high in bad cholesterol. The most obvious culprit, no surprises here, would be oily foods. To lower one’s LDL, one must consciously avoid foods that are deep-fried. If you have to eat fried foods, make sure that the oil that you use is made out of vegetable oil. On the contrary, never use butter as this is rich in saturated fats.

With all this said and done, there is no specific way to ensure 100% that you will never have cholesterol issues. Truth be told, there are many factors that contribute to the rise of cholesterol levels in the body. In addition to one’s eating lifestyle, there is the age, the gender, the family history and of course the amount of physical activity that the person does. That being said, following the tips in this article will help reduce it greatly. You’ll thank me later.

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Also published on Medium.


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